


once more (under these blue skies)

by sigma (riecior)



Category: Produce 101 (TV), Wanna One (Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe - College/University, M/M, that's about it, they play paintball for like seven hours
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-03-01
Updated: 2018-03-01
Packaged: 2019-03-25 14:06:08
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 9,330
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13836342
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/riecior/pseuds/sigma
Summary: "We'll be together forever right?""Of course.""Forever ever?""Pfft…”"Promise me!""Fine, fine. I promise."Alternatively—Minhyun plays paintball, has a power complex, and then someone steps up to challenge him.





	once more (under these blue skies)

**Author's Note:**

> this was a bit rushed, so please excuse any mistakes!

Minhyun is a prideful man.

Perhaps not to an obsessive degree, but enough that his eye twitches at the mention of a newcomer threatening his throne—but throne for what? Well, it isn’t anything particularly cool—he doesn’t think so, anyways—but it was niche enough that he felt that odd sense of superiority whenever it garners a “huh?” from the general public. That being said, he didn't go around bragging about it—it ends up being a bit embarrassing, all things considered.  
  
Semantics aside—Hwang Minhyun was the current holder of the champion title in paintball, a sport he picked up back in middle school. Perhaps it seems uncharacteristic of someone like him to play such a fast-paced game, but it would do you well to not underestimate him. With years of experience under his belt, he had unrivaled techniques and strategies, knowing the mind of an average player inside out—always in the right place at the right time. He had earned his title with ease, becoming somewhat of a big deal in the community (bragging rights included).  
  
But what was a grown adult doing playing paintball? Shouldn't he be focused on his studies and such? Maybe even a job?  
  
Well, even questions like that wouldn't deter him. He has been acing tests left and right, missing classes only when physically unable to attend, and as for a job...let's just say he's pretty well off.  
  
All in all, he’s had a perfect life, but as with all things, it came with its downsides. For one, Minhyun often found himself buried under the pressure of success. As everyone expected only the best from him, it became hard to keep this life up—which is where paintball came in.  
  
It was something silly enough for him to release stress with, something he was unabashedly good at as well. There was just something so satisfying about shooting an enemy and seeing colours explode on their body, knowing that you were the one who caused it. He saw it in newcomers all the time, their aim being thrown off by the pressure of being on the battlefield, not knowing where the enemy was, yet knowing that they were all around you at the same time. It's more intense than you could imagine, especially with all the sounds going off. You may know it's all just a game, but sometimes the animal instinct kicks in and suddenly your hands are shaking uncontrollably. Of course, the feeling gets easier to handle with time, but Minhyun even now still felt a rush of adrenaline whenever he was on the field. Knowing that it was his domain, his kingdom, where he ruled with a splash of bright blue paint.  
  
Which is why he smiles with the aura of a demon when he hears about the newcomer who joined a game he wasn't in and managed to steamroll all their regulars. It was just unheard of—in fact, that was _his_ job.  
  
He hears about them joining the next match, so maybe his pride makes him sign up for it as well. Maybe he wanted to scout out the new contender, or maybe he just wanted to put this newcomer in their place, but he manages to give himself the excuse of needing to train for the upcoming competition (even though everyone and their mothers knew what he was up to).  
  
Minhyun pretends he isn't a prideful man.

* * *

With his hand blocking out the blazing sun, the walk from his car to the field came with long strides and a suitcase rattling against the granite path. The colourful tents set up outside the venue rustled in the wind, ribbons of red and blue flying in contrast to the pale sky. The weather was ideal for a game with sunlight filtering in through the leaves above.

Minhyun notices a head of blond hair bounding his way when it yells out a “hey” in a familiar Busan accent. He manages to duck out of the way of the incoming hug thanks to the warning, but still lets out a little chuckle at the attempt.

“Hyung…” Daniel starts off with a pout, basking in the shame of having wrapped his arms around thin air. “You said you would let me hug you after we won last time.”

“Hm, did I?” Minhyun teases as he brushes past the younger, motioning for them to continue walking. “I don’t seem to recall—”

“You did!” comes the outburst Minhyun was looking for, and he can’t stop the smile that appears on his lips. Daniel was such a kid sometimes, but he played like a man possessed.

“Why don’t you get a hug from that cute Japanese guy with the snaggletooth instead, hm? You seem to like him a lot.”

“I wish! I think his friend would bite my head off if I tried— wait, hold up, how do you know about—”

Their banter continues all the way into the blue team’s tent where Minhyun sets his bag down on the bench and retrieves his gear. Daniel had changed the topic after his ears very inconveniently turned red, something Minhyun tried his best not to point out. At least the two rowdy guys weren’t here today or he would have to watch Daniel stare at the pink-haired one like a lost puppy the whole time. It was endearing at first, but at some point Minhyun just wanted to shove him in their general direction and watch him implode.

“Oh, speaking of which,” Daniel pipes up after screwing on the barrel of his gun. “Have you heard about that new guy?”

“New guy?” Minhyun feigns ignorance in an attempt to seem less petty over the whole situation. “I haven’t been around much so you’ll have to fill me in.”

“Man, you’ve missed out! Basically this guy no one had ever seen before came in last minute on one of our games. We let him join because it was just a casual thing but he completely wrecked all of us!” Daniel’s spirited tone leaves a bit of a bitter taste in Minhyun’s mouth, but he wills the jealousy away. “You should’ve seen him. He was so cool and funny—kinda hot too.”

Minhyun raises his eyebrows at the comment, but Daniel only responds with a mischievous grin.

“Actually, speaking of which,” Daniel looks over and out of the tent. “That’s him right there.”

Minhyun should be ashamed of how quickly he had turned around to look, his eyes landing on a tall, but lithe figure already in full combat attire. He wants to scoff at the seriousness of the stranger, but he’s left speechless instead when he realizes they were staring right back at him. One of them was masked, however, and the fact that Minhyun’s was still lying in his bag made the exchange even more unsettling.

“What’s his deal?” Minhyun finally tears his eyes away from the stranger, looking back at Daniel with a frown on his face.

“Dunno, he was friendlier last time,” Daniel offers a shrug.

But before Minhyun could ask any further, the organizer yells out for the match to begin. _Oh well_ , actions speak louder than words and whatnot, Minhyun dismisses the thought with a wave. He’ll just eliminate the newcomer, then ask them what their deal was or something—it’ll work out one way or another.

As for now:

“Let’s win.”

* * *

Electricity shoots through his veins the moment he steps foot onto the field. As if a switch had been flipped, he suddenly feels alive, so much more aware of everything around him— from the location of his teammates, to where every red paintball shoots at him from. It’s too easy for him to navigate the hybrid of man-made and natural terrain—he loves this field so much for that very reason. The presence of flora on the field is rare nowadays, but it brings with it many more variables. Leaves are unpredictable, every tree and every bush is left as a big question mark because of it—plus, it makes the enemy that much easier to keep track of.

Armed with a bright blue, Minhyun finds his spot behind a piece of plywood propped up against a tree. It was fairly deep into the field but out of the way of the action. He wouldn’t even think of hiding here if not for the fact that it was a deathmatch format—no side was safe. There was no flag to protect, there was no leader to follow, instead it was every man for himself and that’s what he loves the most. Sure, some people try to take charge and organize the teams, but without prior communication and months of practice, all that falls apart once the action begins. It’s way too chaotic on the field and if you try to yell out instructions, prepare to be shot down within the second. Not only will you be distracting your teammates, you would also be giving away your location, and in the worst case scenario, the location of your teammates as well.

Keeping all that in mind, Minhyun was also simply not a team player. He liked being in charge of his own play, and as much as he’d love to lead, he also can’t bother enough to plan out complex strategies only for them to be ignored. The only time he ever felt comfortable working with others was in the past with a player on his level of skill. He wishes he could forget the feeling of someone having your back because now no other player could match up—and god knows he’s tried. So instead of being disappointed again and again, he decided a few years back that he was the lone wolf type, and it’s been working out for him so far.

A shrill whistle interrupts his train of thought, declaring the start of the match. He immediately hears a rustling of leaves and his heart picks up, but he decides that it’s way too early for him to reveal himself. It’s all about timing in games like these, picking off distracted enemies all while keeping himself hidden and away from their eyes.

So he waits, breathing controlled and steady as he hears sounds of combat closeby, the familiar popping sound of the gun and some startled yells. He peeks out from behind the board and sees an ally caught in between two red players, somehow still not hit even with the hail of paintballs shot their way.

With a swift motion, Minhyun brings up his gun and takes aim at one of the enemies, closing his finger around the trigger once the shot was lined up. A burst-fire of five paintballs go soaring through the air and three of them land on their target, bursting into a splash of blue. It was good enough, Minhyun decides and quickly changes his target to the other enemy, firing on them as well. Without even waiting to see the result, he makes a dash for the nearby bush—you never know who might be watching your movements. Instead, he looks towards the scoreboard set up on the nearest wall and smiles to himself when he sees the red team were now two players down.

The game progresses with similar happenings, Minhyun staying a phantom on the field the whole time. His kill count was now at six, almost a third of the enemy team’s headcount to begin with. Not only was he having a good day, he was also playing phenomenally, hitting shots he would miss normally and predicting the enemy’s movements like it was nobody’s business. Only in paintball, he thinks to himself, a bittersweet sigh escaping his lips. Where else would he even utilize these skills?

But as he finally relaxes, a burst of red paints the tree beside him, just barely missing his body. He almost yelps in shock but stops himself just in time. A shiver runs down his spine as he spins to face the enemy, only to find the masked stranger just meters away from him, gun raised and ready to fire once more.

Minhyun rolls out of the way of the next volley, heart thumping against his chest as he racks his mind as to how they got behind him without making any noise. It seemed almost impossible, but yet here they were, deep within his personal bubble. How did they even know where he was to begin with? He was sure he was hidden, so how...

In an attempt to fight back, Minhyun blindly fires in the direction of the stranger as he ducks behind cover, hoping a stray paintball would find them, but to no avail. They were too fast, and before Minhyun knows it, the stranger was beside him.

If there was anything Minhyun was bad at in paintball, it was firing at close range. He didn’t have the reflexes for it nor the athleticism, plus he simply preferred having the option to run away if anything went terribly wrong.

And as such, he blinks and the next thing he knows, his chest is covered in red. He hasn’t felt the impact in ages and it almost feels foreign the way it sends a shock through his body. Thankfully, he had been wearing protective gear which softened the blow, but sadly, there was no such thing for his pride.

“Hit,” Minhyun raises his hand to signal his status, a trace of bitterness in his voice although he tries to be a good sport about it. He watches the stranger lower their gun and part of him wonders how they felt taking someone like him down, but his common sense advised against making the egotistical comment out loud.

Just as turns to leave, he hears the sound of a gun firing and reflexively ducks, but instead of him, the paintball had hit the stranger. The two of them were left staring at each other painted in the other’s team colours, motionless from shock. Minhyun resists the urge to snicker, though—good sportsmanship, he reminds himself, good sportsmanship.

“Hit,” the stranger mumbles and as much as Minhyun despised the fact that he had been eliminated so early on in the match, he got a small satisfaction from the fact the stranger had fallen in a similar manner. He makes a mental note to thank whichever teammate had gotten revenge for him then.

That being said, he still felt wronged even though he lost fair and square—where did the damn stranger even _come_ from? He was sure he had every angle checked...unless he was hiding in the _tree_? No fucking way. He sneaks a glance back at the stranger and almost jumps at how close they were to him.

His surprise must have been obvious since the stranger’s form shakes in what seemed to be muffled laughter. Minhyun holds back a biting remark and instead straightens back up, dusting off his pants with his free hand before turning to leave the field. It annoys him how the stranger follows after him even though he _knows_ there’s only one exit to the field. He thinks about how he should really feel ashamed for being so petty about the whole thing but hey, it’s a competition after all.

Their trek to the safe zone was made in complete silence and Minhyun could feel the stranger’s eyes on him. He tries to ignore it though it creeps him out the slightest. Ever since their first encounter, something had felt off about the way the stranger stared at him—he could only hope it wasn’t with sinister intent.

The sight of the white tent couldn’t have come sooner. Minhyun spots the players he had eliminated earlier sitting on the bench and gives them a friendly nod. He pulls off his mask as soon as he crosses the threshold, breathing in a breath of fresh air and relishing the cool wind on his face. Out of the corner of his eye, though, he sees the stranger still staring and he huffs, gathering the energy to finally speak.

“Can I help you?” his voice is suspicious, but not too confrontational (he hopes).

The stranger stays silent but removes his own mask with one swift motion. Minhyun almost bites his tongue when part of him thinks ‘ _wow, Daniel was right he_ **_is_ ** _hot_ ’. It was neither the time nor place for comments like those.

“Err...by any chance— are you Hwang Minhyun?” the stranger finally says in a soft voice that surprises Minhyun. He had _not_ expected him to sound like that.

In any case, how did he know his name?

“Yeah I am, why?”

It must have been ‘surprise Minhyun day’ or something because the way the man’s jaw drops and eyes widen makes Minhyun blink in confusion. The expression makes him look a bit stupid but then Minhyun almost yells when the man leaps into his arms and pulls him into a hug. Their body armour clunks against each other clumsily, accompanied by Minhyun’s small squeak of “whoa!” when the man pulls away as quickly as he had come in the first place.

“It’s me, Ong Seongwoo!” the man practically bounces with glee, a big dumb grin plastered on his face.

It takes Minhyun a moment, and the name sounds painfully familiar, but his blank stare switches to a gasp when he finally remembers.

Ong Seongwoo, his friend from middle school. The one who dragged him into paintball in the first place, his partner on the field. They had ruined so many adults’ days back then...an unstoppable duo. He also remembers Seongwoo had moved away suddenly and he had had no idea what happened to him...until now.

“Wha—” Minhyun stutters, eyes scanning the other’s features as if to somehow prove him wrong. “That can’t be you...right?”

“It is,” Seongwoo nods encouragingly. “Look,” he points to his cheek and there they were, the constellation of moles Minhyun had loved so much.

“Oh my god…”

“Right? I can’t believe you look so different now, I thought my eyes were messing with me.”

“Uh, you too,” Minhyun returns, his heart clenching in the weirdest way.

There’s a pause and Seongwoo’s brows furrow in worry. “You seem kinda down, are you okay?” he asks and Minhyun curses internally for letting his emotions slip.

“No, no. I’m just...shocked, is all,” he manages to excuse. There’s a moment of silence and Minhyun takes a deep breath, settling his heart and finally offering a more genuine smile. “It’s great to see you again.”

They spend the next half an hour catching up and Minhyun almost feels emotional at how well they still got along. It’s been years but Seongwoo remained ridiculously easy to talk to and honestly? Puberty worked its magic on him. What had formerly been chubby cheeks had been carved into a jawline that could kill. Minhyun supposes he had a similar transformation, but Seongwoo simply looked unreal.  
  
He's so distracted that he doesn't even notice when the game ends and the remaining players come flooding out of the field, each with their own expression of victory (and defeat). It's only when Daniel approaches and prods Minhyun with his foot that he looks up and around.  
  
"Hey. Not to interrupt, but we gotta go, guys," Daniel gestures towards the setting sun before leaning down to whisper into Minhyun's ear. "You're best friends with him now?"  
  
Minhyun's face must have reddened at the question because Daniel has to stifle a giggle. "He's someone I used to know," Minhyun huffs before waving Daniel off. "I'll join you guys in a bit."  
  
Daniel pulls away but gives him a knowing glance, only turning tail to join the others when Minhyun threateningly raises his paintball gun.  
  
"He's funny," Seongwoo laughs and Minhyun raises an eyebrow. "He helped introduce me to the others a few days ago," he explains, rubbing at his neck sheepishly. "I might've come off a bit intimidating."  
  
"Maybe stop staring at people creepily with your mask on," Minhyun jokes, unscrewing the barrel of his gun. The disassembly came as a second nature when he packs each precious part back into his bag. He watches as Seongwoo does the same.  
  
"I only stared at you," he pouts, zipping everything up before getting to his feet. "Wanna go for dinner?"  
  
Minhyun thinks maybe he shouldn't take the words 'only you' literally, but part of him does anyways and he ends up flustering himself. "Ah, I can't. I have an assignment to get to."  
  
"Wow, look at you being a good student," Seongwoo whistles and tugs Minhyun up with a grunt when he finally accepts his hand. "Use some of your own strength, lazy ass."  
  
"I'm tired," Minhyun laughs, but not before noticing he had held onto Seongwoo's hand for longer than necessary. He only hopes it had gone unnoticed.  
  
They exchange contact numbers along the way before parting towards their separate rides. Minhyun had all but collapsed into his seat, mind spinning from all that had happened today. It was all so much to process...  
  
He was going to need some time alone (and food, definitely food).

* * *

A plate of leftover pizza afterwards, Minhyun had settled down at his desk, laptop opened in front on him, but his eyes weren't focused on the text. He held his phone in his hand, idly scrolling through his contacts list as if his thumb wasn't gravitating towards the name of his ex-best friend.  
  
Ong Seongwoo, his friend from middle school. That in itself wasn't enough to describe what their relationship had been. It embarrasses him to admit it, but the term 'soulmate' had been thrown around in his mind a couple of times when it came to describing Seongwoo. They had clicked almost immediately and as teens do, promised to be together forever and silly things like that. Even the evening after class where Seongwoo cornered him with a stupid grin on his face and placed a tight-lipped kiss on his lips—he thought that would have lasted forever too.  
  
Yes, he admits he had a big fat crush on Seongwoo back then, and honestly? Seongwoo felt like the one. Especially after the kiss and the way Seongwoo had run off giggling to himself with a "see you tomorrow" trailing after him like a dumbass—Minhyun had been so excited and nervous to talk to him tomorrow.  
  
But then came the next few days where Seongwoo didn't show up to class. Minhyun remembers his confusion and how much it broke him and his little heart when he had to hear about the move through Seongwoo's sister. He remembers texting Seongwoo on his clunky phone, fingers landing on the wrong buttons from how much his hands were shaking. Message after message went by, and nothing. Days blurred into weeks and Minhyun was forced to accept the painful truth.  
  
Seongwoo had left him.  
  
The memories extract a sigh from him, his hand dropping to land on his lap with a small bounce. It wasn't a time he liked remembering, but it was almost impossible to forget his first heartbreak. Just when he thinks he's moved on with his life too. He tosses his phone aside with a huff and tries to focus on his assignment, but his mind wanders off again.  
  
He shouldn't remain this upset at the whole situation, they were both kids back then, after all. He's sure Seongwoo had his reasons—moving was a common thing. Things happen, people fall out of contact. He's an adult, he can deal with the past being the past.  
  
(He really wants to ask about it, though.)  
  
Now with his overthinking out of the way and a forced excuse to keep his mind sated for the time being, he manages to make progress on his assignment. Hours pass uneventfully and the moon rises, its beams struggling to pierce the black curtains Minhyun had up.

One page after another burned away at his eyes and he decides to finally take a break and check his phone in true millennial fashion. The first thing that catches his eye is a notification from one of the stupid little games he played while he was bored. Swiping that away, though, revealed a series of messages from none other than Mr. Childhood Friend himself.

* * *

 **Ong Seongwoo** (10:12pm)  
hey :)

 **Hwang Minhyun** (10:48pm)  
Hey

 **Ong Seongwoo** (10:50pm)  
are u free tmr? we should catch up and stuff!!!

 **Hwang Minhyun** (10:51pm)  
I have class tomorrow

 **Ong Seongwoo** (10:51pm)  
oh :(

 **Hwang Minhyun** (10:52pm)  
I’m free after that though  
Around 3pm

 **Ong Seongwoo** (10:52pm)  
oh ok!!

 **Ong Seongwoo** (10:55pm)  
errrrr….where do u…….study….

 **Hwang Minhyun** (10:56pm)  
There’s only one university in the area

 **Ong Seongwoo** (10:57pm)  
i dont go here!!!!  
smh

 **Ong Seongwoo** (10:58pm)  
ill come pick u up there then :^)  
wait @ the main entrance!

 **Hwang Minhyun** (11:04pm)  
Sure

* * *

Minhyun finally lays his phone down and sighs, blinking the sleep out of his eyes. He was too tired to deal with his emotions and homework, let alone both at the same time. He turns off his laptop and decides to sleep on it. Let future-him deal with the consequences of agreeing to another meeting with Seongwoo. At least then he’ll have his head on straight instead of wanting to (gently) smash his face into his desk.

But against his better judgement, he looks back down at his phone when it lights up again, a chuckle escaping him at the stupid little sticker Seongwoo had sent. He leaves it on read, though, not wanting to prolong the meaningless back-and-forth when he had a soft, fluffy bed waiting for him.

Tossing the device aside, he all but collapses into his pillow, eyes shut tight and willing his thoughts away before eventually drifting off into a dream filled with purple skies.

* * *

Half-past three is when his class finally ends, having been held up by some loud guy up front with one too many damn questions. Minhyun stretches with a disgruntled groan as he makes his way out of the building, bag dangling dangerously off his raised hand. He feels a buzz from within as the hour-long mute on his messenger app wore off. People sure were noisy today, Minhyun muses internally as he retrieves his phone and unlocks the screen.

He’s greeted by a flood of new messages, mostly from the two group chats he’s in, but also a few private messages. He opens the one from Daniel first, seeing that he had sent a link for the latest paintball gun design. Minhyun lets out a small whistle and types in a quick thank you before moving on.

His heart almost stops when he finally sees a message from Seongwoo, somehow having forgotten about him with the commotion in class earlier. Just from the chatroom preview, he sees ‘waiting for u’ followed by a kissy face emoji and his shock melts into something more of a disturbed frown.

A few more paces and a look up from his phone reveals the sender in question, leaning up against the perimeter wall like something out of a cheesy romance movie.

“Hey,” Minhyun calls out with a small wave to get his attention. “Sorry I’m late.”

Seongwoo stops playing with his fingers and turns to Minhyun with a smile that makes Minhyun gulp, and as much as he hates it, his heart beat just a millisecond faster.

“That’s okay,” Seongwoo nods, brushing his hair out of his face. “Have you had lunch?”

“No,” Minhyun shakes his head. “I’ve had back-to-back classes since the morning.”

“Alright then,” Seongwoo pauses and pretends to think hard, holding his fist to his chin with a squint on his face. “Do you still like...samgyeopsal?”

Minhyun takes a moment to ponder how Seongwoo still remembered after all this time, but chooses to shrug it off as coincidence (or maybe luck?)

“Of course. Why wouldn’t I?” he shrugs nonchalantly, hoping his hesitance didn’t show.

“Let’s go then!” Seongwoo laughs, patting Minhyun’s shoulder casually. Either he ignored it, or he didn’t see the way Minhyun flinched at his touch. “Remember when you used to inhale it by the pound?”

“Don’t remind me,” Minhyun lets out a sheepish laugh.

Even through all this, Minhyun somehow found a familiar comfort in being with Seongwoo. The way he talked, smiled, laughed...it all felt so weirdly intimate—or maybe he was just imagining it. It’s been years, after all. There was no way this Seongwoo was the same Seongwoo he knew and fell for in the past—

Or at least, that’s what he desperately tried to tell himself.

They find seats at a restaurant soon after, placing their orders before finally settling down to chat. It’s mostly just small talk but Minhyun had other things on his mind, specific questions. Maybe it was too soon to ask certain ones, but…

“So, what are you doing here all of a sudden?” he braves the query, smiling ever so slightly to hide his nervousness. Why was he even feeling this anxious? It’s a normal question to ask, right?

“Hm?” Seongwoo hums through a mouthful of meat. He takes a moment to chew and swallow before answering. “I moved here for someone.”

“A girlfriend?” Minhyun raises an eyebrow.

“Oh my god, no.”

“Boyfriend?”

“No!”

“Still single, huh?” there’s a tone of mischief in Minhyun’s voice as he leans back smugly in his seat.

“Woooww…” Seongwoo rolls his eyes, crossing his arms with chopsticks in hand. “Uncalled for.”

Minhyun can’t help the laugh that escapes him, having to cover his mouth in an attempt to muffle his voice as they were still in a public area.

“Your love life aside,” he pretends the news that Seongwoo was single didn’t get his heart hoping. “I can’t believe we’re both still playing paintball.”

“Heh, yeah,” Seongwoo places another piece of meat onto the grill. “I stopped playing for awhile after moving ‘cause I couldn’t find a place, but I picked it up again recently.”

“I could tell. You ran out of stamina just as quickly as you used to,” Minhyun teases as the salivating smell filled the air.

“Hey! it’s not my fault I’m bad— I mean, it kinda is but...”

Another round of laughter sounds out.

“Look...I’m the assassin type,” Seongwoo tries to reason, lips pouted sulkily.

“I’m sure you are,” Minhyun nods patronizingly. He watches as the other starts flipping the meat, eyes darting upwards ever so often. “Ah, that reminds me. Are you joining the upcoming competition?”

“Hm...might as well, right?” Seongwoo smiles. “We can team up again, like the old days.”

“Like the old days,” Minhyun repeats slowly, as if methodically analyzing each word. He doesn’t notice the look of confusion Seongwoo gives him, instead staring blankly into the grill.

After a few moments of hesitation, he finally sighs and decides to just come out with it, the million dollar question.

“Why did you not tell me you were leaving?” his voice is soft and he almost thinks Seongwoo doesn’t hear him, but the look on his face told him otherwise. He simply wanted to resolve any possible misunderstandings at this point, to not torment himself over the unknown any longer.

To his frustration, though, Seongwoo looks almost too casual as he shrugs and answers with a “I just forgot”. There was just no way in hell that could have been right—not with how _they_ were.

“Ah, ok.”

He returns to staring into space, unsure as to how to respond or feel. On one hand, the logical part of his mind tells him that they were just kids and these things happen, but on the other hand, the emotional part of him just feels...empty. With how nonchalantly Seongwoo had answered, he wasn’t even sure if he should bring up the kiss anymore.

With a quick breath, he finally looks back up to Seongwoo and brings up the first small talk topic he could think of—both to rid them of the awkward atmosphere, and give himself something else to think about. He supposes that in the end, they weren’t really _that_ close, it was just him imagining things—and it’s not like it matters anymore anyways, he wasn’t head-over-heels in love with Seongwoo any longer.

He’s fine with just being friends from now on, a fresh new start—

Now, if only he could ignore the way his heart beats just a bit faster whenever Seongwoo smiled at him.

* * *

A few weeks pass without incident and Minhyun almost settles back into normalcy. He's had a few thinks about the whole situation with Seongwoo and ultimately, he was still happy to be friends with him, to have reconnected after so long. So maybe Seongwoo didn’t think as highly of their past relationship as Minhyun did, that was fine. Their friendship remained irreplaceable in his heart regardless. It's time to move on now—they aren't the same kids anymore. Things have changed, _they_ have changed—  
  
Well, sort of.  
  
Even after all these years, their chemistry on the paintball field still remained. The same thing that made them click back then, the almost-telepathic teamwork they had. Minhyun found a sense of comfort in that fact, knowing that in the end, Seongwoo was still his partner.

And with that, he resolves himself to being a teammate, someone who Seongwoo can always rely on when the battle gets tough, someone to cheer with, to cry with. Camaraderie on the battlefield makes you bond fast, bond strong. It’s all Minhyun asks for at this point.

He pushes away the past to focus on the present, the upcoming competition promising so much more than just a title. It would be the first competition he won with Seongwoo by his side.

Perhaps that was a little sentimental, but as long as it motivated him to run towards victory, that was enough for him. There’s nothing quite like accepting the trophy with your teammates, seeing all the blood, sweat, and tears you had shed together come to fruition.

And besides, it was impossible to stay gloomy around someone like Seongwoo.

“Watch your six!” comes the familiar callout and Minhyun ducks down almost instinctively, dodging the paintball that just soars over his head. He turns just in time to see Seongwoo take out his assailant, that satisfying shade of blue exploding onto black plastic.

“Nice,” Minhyun whistles, unaware of the smile that had formed on his lips. He feels his heart race, but he credits it to the adrenaline from playing on the field...not that it could have been anything else.

They didn’t physically have their backs against each other’s like those cliches you see in action movies, that was just a bad idea in a face-paced game like paintball. Instead, they stood a few feet apart, each facing an opposite direction and keeping watch for any enemies. With quiet whispers and hand signals salvaged from their younger days, they move as a unit, sufficiently taking out anyone unlucky enough to cross their path. 

With Minhyun firing from afar, he acts as more of a distraction for Seongwoo to sneak around the side to take the enemy off-guard—that is, if he didn’t get them first. It’s always funny to see Seongwoo make the effort of moving up only to find that his target had already been shot by Minhyun. A kill is a kill, but Minhyun still smirks at him every time.

It’s like this, their partnership slash rivalry—they compete over who gets the most kills but in the end, all that mattered was the overall win. That, and making sure no one took down their other half—because in Seongwoo’s words: “Only I can shoot Minhyun in the face!” (Minhyun chokes on his saliva).

They finish their match with a near-perfect score and the rush of winning carries them towards the exit. With congratulations and cheers thrown around, Seongwoo finally pulls Minhyun to the side and rambles on about all the plays they had made. Minhyun, however was distracted by the way the sun cast an orange glow on them, reflecting off the thin layer of sweat on Seongwoo’s face.

He wishes his breath didn’t catch like that.

The look on his face must have given away something because before he knows it, Seongwoo is left staring back at him.

His lips part the slightest as he struggles to keep calm, to stop his hands from shaking. Why was he so nervous? Was he scared? Why was Seongwoo _looking_ at him like that? 

Even as Seongwoo takes a step forward, and even as his hand was held ever so gently, he felt the lump in his throat grow. He almost gives in to the temptation to close his eyes when Seongwoo leans in, to wrap his fingers around Seongwoo’s wrist and just pull him in, to feel his body against his as they kissed like it was nobody’s business—

But he doesn’t.

Instead, the moment their lips touched, he pulls away with eyes wide and face flushed red. He struggles to focus on Seongwoo’s face, but the worried expression it held made him look down and away in guilt right after. His lips part as he sucks in a quick breath of air, wanting so bad to relieve the constriction in his throat.

“I...I’ll leave first,” he finally mumbles after finding his attempts futile. In one swift motion, he turns around and runs off before Seongwoo could protest. He feels horrendous for leaving him hanging but he doesn’t dare look back right now.

He finally _breathes_ again after collapsing into his car and all but melting into the seat. What the hell were they about to do? What would have happened if he stayed? Why was his mind a mess and his heart threatening to explode from his chest— it’s not like he didn’t know the answer, he just didn't want to admit it.

He’s still so _painfully_ in love with Ong Seongwoo.

Minhyun hates it. Even after spending the last half-a-month convincing himself that he didn’t have any feelings for Seongwoo anymore, and preaching about how he had gotten over him—how did he still feel so much like _the one_? It’s been years and Minhyun still wants to spend his whole fucking life with him. It feels nonsensical and almost ridiculous—his life wasn’t a damn romance movie. He knows logically that these feelings dissipate with time, but was he really going to last that long? The constant pain in his heart just wasn’t worth all this.

It’s not like he hasn’t thought about actually letting himself fall for Seongwoo, let fate take its course—because believe him, he wants to—but it was just too risky. What if he falls for Seongwoo again just for him to up and leave again? Was he really ready to be abandoned once more by someone he used to call his soulmate?

Minhyun finally lets out a sigh of frustration, cursing whatever chemical love was for cranking the dramatism in his life up to hormonal-teen levels of crying into ice cream (or whatever they did nowadays). He just wanted to live his life free of emotional instability, but no—ong Seongwoo had to come back.

A loud beep sounds out in the parking lot as Minhyun (gently) slams his face into the steering wheel.

* * *

The day of the competition arrives mercilessly and Minhyun doesn’t even have a chance to think about what had happened. In between his exams and pretending he was too busy to answer Seongwoo’s calls, he just wanted to melt into a puddle on the ground and maybe assimilate with the earth where he’s voided of all his human responsibilities—but sadly, he wasn’t a pool of liquid man and time didn’t wait for anyone.

The tents were bustling with activity, various teams gathered together, probably discussing strategies or something—not that Minhyun cared. With a blank look on his face, he rests on one of the benches, staring off into space. He knew Seongwoo was somewhere in the tent, probably staring worriedly at him, but he didn’t really want to talk. They had greeted each other earlier before Minhyun snuck off to prepare, and Seongwoo had caught on quickly enough to not continue bothering him.

Minhyun barely notices the shrill whistle that normally would have made his ears ring, only snapping to attention when Daniel actually jabs his elbow into his side.

“Dude, they’re announcing something,” Daniel frowns, visibly worried about Minhyun’s condition. “You sure you’re okay?”

“Yeah, yeah,” Minhyun dismisses with a nod, turning his attention to the yelling coming from the entrance of the tent.

“—and because of that, we will need a volunteer to join the red team to even out the odds,” the organizer finishes off and the crowd starts mumbling among themselves. No one really wanted to defect from the blue team as they were typically the winners, not to mention the bond they have been building for the past few weeks. With all the practice they had done

together, it would only be disadvantageous to leave—

“I’ll go,” Minhyun stands up from his spot with a hand raised. He misses the wide-eyed stare Daniel gives him as well as the worry in Seongwoo’s eyes.

“Are you sure?” the organizer raises an eyebrow at him, knowing well enough that he was the blue team’s ace.

Even through the groans of his teammates, Minhyun nods.

“Ah— good luck,” Seongwoo tries to call out as Minhyun walks over to the other side, but is only graced with a small, thankful smile.

A blanket of awkwardness hangs in the air as he replaces the blue in his kit with red, trading in his paintballs and armband. He tries to be friendly with his new teammates, wishing them luck and throwing empty compliments here and there, but he gets only apologies in return. Did he really look that upset? He wishes he could explain the cause of his mood drop so they wouldn’t feel as guilty, but it was honestly none of their business.

Not that he could explain it even if he wanted.

As per usual, Minhyun heads out to the field alone, thinking in a bittersweet thought that maybe his lone wolf strategy worked out for him in his situation after all. He admits it’s been awhile since he’s utilized it, though, having worked together with Seongwoo for the past few weeks...better late than never, he supposes.

Though he wonders if this strategy would be predictable to his former teammates. They would automatically assume it as his default and that renders it useless if he’s found out. Then again...he always loved a challenge.

Emotions can go fuck themselves now for all he cares—now was his time to shine and let off some steam. He needed to focus and carry the red team to victory, past bonds be damned. If he sees any blue on the field, it’s an immediate shot—one shot one kill, as Daniel loved saying. All’s fair in love and war, et cetera.

With that, the whistle is blown and he immediately takes a shot. The familiar rush shoots through his veins as he hears his target yelp, covered in an unfamiliar red. He whispers a cheer to himself before ducking back down under cover, holding his gun to his chest.

Maybe there was something to the red paint, after all. It looked somewhat...primal, although he doesn’t want to admit it—but regardless, it still lacked the elegance of blue, and that was something he could never leave behind.

The next few kills come quickly as he’s almost flushed out by the blue team, but he manages to elude them just a little longer. Seems like they _did_ think of something to fight him with, but it was all too clumsy. They didn’t have his perception, gamesense, or strategy—there was only one person who could even try to take him on…

Was he coming?

Minhyun spends the next few minutes anticipating Seongwoo’s arrival, knowing that they must have at least thought of sending the man after him. He waits and waits until he realizes he was doing it again—falling victim to his emotions instead of playing the damn game.

“Stop it…” he whispers to himself and gets off the ground, sliding up against the trunk of a nearby tree. He had to _focus_ on the game, stop thinking about _him_ , for god’s sake. Where did all that bravado from earlier go? The moment Seongwoo came into his head, it all fell apart like his _fragile_ , _maiden_ heart (might as well be one at this point).

But it wasn’t an invalid concern, all things considered. Seongwoo loved to mess with him when they were on opposite teams since he’s the only one who _can_. It was almost uncharacteristic of him to not be on Minhyun right now (he blinks rapidly to rid his mind of the innuendo).

Then again, what did he know about Seongwoo anymore? Everything he has to go off from was from years ago, and apparently even _that_ information was wrong. Maybe he didn’t actually like taking Minhyun on, maybe that was just an act? Maybe he didn’t even like paintball in the first place and just joined to make Minhyun feel better?

With his thoughts spiralling into nonsense, he almost misses the scoreboard changing as the blue team pulls back ahead. Now was not the time for this—it’ll never be the time for this.

He clutches his gun and pulls the trigger, taking down a lone enemy without a second thought. It was ironic that the one day he played recklessly was when he held red in his hands. Maybe there was something in the paint that incited aggression—hah, what was he, a bull?

One after another fell by his hand, his former teammates staring wide-eyed at the Minhyun who had come at them upfront. It was almost like he was begging to be found, to be taken out—but by who? The little voice in the back of his mind told him to wait for _him_ , that it’ll only be closure if it’s _him_ —but Minhyun ignores it. That little voice has done more harm than good at this point.

It’s almost ridiculous how they somehow hadn’t found each other yet—there’s only so many people you can go through on the field. His blood boiled in his veins as his muscles reached their limit. Running around like this was just unlike him, his body wasn’t used to this. His breath was caught ragged in his throat and everything hurt so much.

He wants to yell out in frustration, but he knows how stupid he’s being. That’s just it—why did he have to be so damn immature about everything? His heart feels heavy, a sense of shame in the air as he realizes he had been deluding himself into thinking he had a future with Seongwoo. He doesn’t even know what to think of the kiss, both kisses, anymore—none of it made sense. Why would Seongwoo do that just to leave him? Was going to leave again now that he’s captured Minhyun’s heart once more?

He doesn’t want to lose Seongwoo again.

A loud horn blasts him back to his senses and he looks up in shock. The scoreboard  read 3-0 and his legs almost give out under him. The red team had won.

He smiles blankly at the remaining two red team members and accepts their friendly pats on the back and whatnot. Part of him feels oddly melancholic and accepting of Seongwoo’s absence, but then the large chunk of him that wanted to just accept his immaturity and maybe cry out of frustration? Sadness? Anger? He hasn’t felt this way since he turned eighteen.

He holds his tears, though, knowing well enough he didn’t need to complicate matters further than they already were. Seongwoo didn’t come for him—that’s fine. He didn’t want to make excuses for him anymore, so he simply leaves the field with a triumphant smile on his face.

The welcoming party of red greeted him with more familiarity than before, yelling in celebration and throwing high-fives around. They invite him to a celebration party but he turns them down, shaking his head with a sheepish smile on his face with something along the lines of “i’m tired, you guys go ahead”. While that was true and all, he also wanted to be alone for awhile, and the sight of Seongwoo lingering outside the blue team’s tent didn’t bode well for him.

As he turns to leave, he hears his name being called by that familiar voice and he pretends not to hear, speeding his steps up. It’s only once he turns the corner of the clearing that he feels a hand on his shoulder.

“Hey! Minhyun! You deaf or something?” Seongwoo jokes, but the smile is quickly wiped off his face when he sees the fatigue in Minhyun’s eyes.

“What is it?” Minhyun sighs, forcing the corners of his lips up to seem ever so unbothered.

“Oh— erm...nothing, really. I was just wondering if you were okay? You seemed kinda off,” Seongwoo starts off, finally removing his hand from Minhyun’s shoulder. It was obvious that he was worried, but Minhyun couldn’t find the energy to bother.

“I’m fine,” he shrugs, looking off and away from the other.

“...You sure?”

“Yeah.”

There’s a pause and Minhyun continues staring holes into the leaves beside them. He almost breaks the silence to excuse himself and leave, but Seongwoo beats him to it.

“Hey— I’m sorry for kissing you all of a sudden back then...that wasn’t cool and I should’ve asked first…” he starts off tentatively, offering a soft smile when Minhyun finally looks back at him. “I just thought...y’know, since we had back then— but I guess that doesn’t make sense, huh? It’s not like we’re teenagers anymore and—”

“Seongwoo.”

“Huh?”

Minhyun feels his heart clench. “Can you... _please_ just _tell_ me why you left without saying anything back then?”

“Wait— is that what this is about?” the confusion is apparent in Seongwoo’s voice.

“Yes.”

“I— oh geez…” Seongwoo looks down at his hands helplessly, as if to contemplate his actions. “I’m sorry. I didn’t know it bothered you that much.”

“Of course it did...you meant— you mean a lot to me,” Minhyun laughs weakly.

Seongwoo takes a moment, seemingly deep in thought. He bites down on his lip but then sighs resolutely, as if he finally made up his mind about something.

“My sister...she saw us kiss.”

“Huh?” Minhyun’s eyes widen, not having expected that train of speech.

“Yeah, she— uh...told my parents, and they weren’t really happy with it.”

The pieces were finally coming together in Minhyun’s mind and it wasn’t looking pretty. His breath hitches at the thought, a blanket of guilt wrapping around his heart, but he lets Seongwoo continue.

“They made me move to my aunt’s place and I couldn’t reach you because they...cut me off from anything related to you,” Seongwoo looks empty as says this, like it was taking every ounce of energy from him to confess. “Sorry for not telling you earlier but...I don’t know— I still love my family so it’s hard too…” he trails off feebly.

“No. No, it’s okay,” Minhyun assures, finally stepping in closer. “I’m sorry for prying.”

“You deserved to know, though,” Seongwoo smiles weakly at him, his eyes like pools of sunshine.

Minhyun doesn’t know what to say to that, but he knows enough to realize he had been an absolute idiot this whole time. He feels terrible for doubting Seongwoo and making it so he had to come out with his painful past, but at the same time, he felt an odd sense of peace, knowing now that Seongwoo never really left him.

“It won’t happen again,” Seongwoo’s voice snaps him back to reality.

“Huh?”

Seongwoo reaches out and grabs Minhyun’s hand, threading their fingers together with a smile on his face. “I’m not going to leave again.”

“Oh—” Minhyun feels his face heat up and he sees Seongwoo’s gaze drift to his ears which were probably as red as his face right now.

“By the way,” Seongwoo stifles his laughter. “Remember that person I said I was moving here for? It was you.”

“Why didn’t you just tell me that then?”

“You kidding me? That would’ve been such a cheesy line!”

“Like everything you just said wasn’t already cheesy.”

“Touche, but shut up.”

Minhyun rolls his eyes but smiles nonetheless. “How were you so sure I would’ve remembered you? For all you know, I could’ve just forgot you existed,” he teases, running his thumb over the other’s hand.

“‘Cos I’m me, you’re you, and we’re us.”

He wants to comment on the cheesiness factor, but any thought of that was dissipated by the snort Seongwoo lets out just after. Clearly, they had both been thinking the same thing.

“God, that was so lame.”

“At least you’re aware.”

Their laughter fades into silence and Minhyun stares down at their linked hands, swinging them ever so slightly. He always remembered Seongwoo having pretty hands, and he’s glad to find that that fact hadn’t changed. Back then, they had talked about what would happen if their hands stayed tiny, and what if they couldn’t hold their paintball guns properly because of it. He remembers laughing at Seongwoo’s troubled expression but then secretly tugging on his fingers at home thanks to the idea he had implanted. Maybe that was how he ended up with such long fingers, he chuckles to himself.

“...You know I really missed you, right?” Minhyun finally muses, giving Seongwoo’s hand a soft squeeze.

“Yeah, I missed you too,” comes Seongwoo’s reply, affection dripping from his words. The stars in his eyes could rival the night sky itself and Minhyun finds himself getting lost in them. He feels exposed, like his soul was being bared, but he didn’t mind since it was Seongwoo and Seongwoo only who was the one seeing him like this.

“Hey, back then…” Minhyun starts off, voice soft, just loud enough for Seongwoo to hear. “I really liked you. I loved you a lot, but I never got to tell you that.”

“Me too,” comes Seongwoo’s smile, and Minhyun feels a sense of relief at his answer, just to shut that nagging voice in the back of his head up. He thinks it’s funny how everything came together in the end, that Seongwoo ended up actually loving him back after convincing himself for years that he had abandoned him. It never really made sense, but he didn’t have any other answer...until now.

“...Wanna kiss again?” Seongwoo breaks the silence to offer, a cheeky grin on his face and Minhyun can’t help but laugh. Instead of answering him, though, he simply leans in and presses his lips against Seongwoo’s. It’s brief and soft, enough to send flutters through his body but not enough to satisfy. Minhyun wants to go further, to feel Seongwoo’s warmth forever, but he pulls away for now when Seongwoo tugs on his sleeve.

“What is it?” Minhyun blinks in confusion, still a bit punch-drunk from Seongwoo’s taste.

“It’s getting dark and there’s bugs...” Seongwoo responds sheepishly, eyes darting around awkwardly. Minhyun rolls his eyes but accepts it anyways.

“It’s just bugs…”

“I don’t want to get bitten! It’s not like we can’t just kiss at your place or something.”

Minhyun raises his eyebrow at Seongwoo. “Uh huh.”

“Shut up.”

“I didn’t say anything.”

“You were thinking it.”

“Maybe.”

Seongwoo groans and grabs onto Minhyun’s hand. “Let’s go, we can get something to eat along the way.”

“Only if I get to kiss you again.”

“I wouldn’t be in my right mind if I said no.”

**Author's Note:**

> i hope you enjoyed reading this! it was very much a struggle to write and i'm not sure i could've done it without all the support from my friends. a big thank you to M for helping me proofread this as well as N and E for making sure i didn't go insane from the pressure of being in such a cool ficfest!


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